NTRC Icode Competition Launched

Registration is now open to interested schools and individuals to enter the 2019 National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission’s (NTRC) icode784 Competition, formerly known as the I2 Competition. This year’s competition, the seventh, has not only been renamed, but boasts a new logo.

The competition was officially launched on Tuesday when Apollo Knights, Director of the NTRC, said that the name change reflected the competition’s new focus. He explained that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was a signatory to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by that body’s General Assembly in 2015, and previously the competition targeted all of the SDGs.

“The former I2 Competition was already doing its small part. However, we wanted to make it a bit more focused in terms of its role and it assisting St Vincent and the Grenadines in achieving the targets of the 17 SDGs,” Knights said. “To this end, we decided to rebrand the competition to achieve some of the SDG’s; we are not trying to target all of the goals,” he continued. The Competition now focuses in on six SDGs – no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, and sustainable cities and communities.There is also going to be some additional changes to the competition in the coming years, Knights said.

But the format of the competition remains the same. Private individuals and schools are invited to register and participate in this year’s competition, particularly schools.

There are two categories: the secondary category for secondary school students; and the open category for private individuals under age 35 and tertiary level students. It was noted that students may enter both categories, but private participants and tertiary level students are only allowed to enter the open category; the competition is open to teams only comprising of no less than two and no more than four persons.

Knights said that there was the misconception by some schools, that knowledge and experience of coding the applications were mandatory. Eustasha Walter, Consumer and Public Relations Manager (Ag), however, explained that participants are being invited to enter in either the idea or application (app) category. And under the guidelines of the competition, participants opting to enter the idea category do not require knowledge of developing of coding their idea.

Those entering the idea category must project an idea relating to mobile apps, Walter said. There are three phases of the competition, she continued, the first was the registration which runs until September 25th, 2019.

The second phase, the preliminary round, will commence on October 15th and end on the 18th, and then on to the finals on November 12, 2019. Participants in the secondary mobile app category who advance to the final are expected to showcase a working prototype or model mobile application.

Winners in the secondary idea category will receive 1st – EC$2,000, 2nd – $1,000 and 3rd – $800. For the secondary mobile app category:1st -$3,000; 2nd – $2,500 and 3rd – $1,000. For the open category, the winning team will win $5,000; 2nd – $2,500 and 3rd – $1,500. Other cash prizes of $1,000 will be awarded to the school with the most entries. Mentors will receive prizes ranging from $750 to $1,000. Mentors are only required for the secondary school category.

Other prizes will be awarded as well, Walter said.And at the launch, persons viewing the launch live on the NTRC’s Facebook page and for those entering the pre-launch competition on the website became eligible to win a Samsung Galaxy A50 and Samsung Galaxy S10 Smart Phone. Clinton Enrick Pace Bostwick was the winner of the Galaxy A50 and Darius DaSouza the winner of the Galaxy S10. (The Vincentian)